A:
There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable
and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You
can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green
Guru's secret identity.

rate this answer

Thursday - June 08, 2006

QUESTION:

Hi,
I am looking for a resource to help determine the functions of native plants. For instance, nitrogen fixing can be found in Indigo, Lead plant, lupines. Are there other plants that add back calcium?
Also, I'm looking for a resource that states planting guidelines for the native plants for home scale landscaping. I've cleared my front slope and planted natives 2 years ago, but wanting to add more density without encroaching on existing root structures etc.
Thanks so much for your time!

ANSWER:

As far as we know, there are no plants that fix calcium in the way that leguminous plants fix nitrogen. Calcium isn't as important to plants as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, so no mechanisms have evolved that enable plants to insure its presence in the soil.

If what you're wanting to do is alter an acidic (low pH) soil to make it more calcareous (higher in calcium carbonate) in order to plant species that require a higher pH, our recommendation would be to instead use locally native plants that prefer the region's acidic soils. If the natural calcium carbonate that your soil originally had has been stripped out for some reason, supplementing your soil with lime or applying a top dressing of compost with ground eggshell added can help. Compost from the fallen leaves of locally native plants can also work to restore a regionally appropriate pH balance to your soil.

For plant recommendations, since I don't know what natives you've planted and what the size of your lot is, I'm going to refer you to our regional factpack for the Midwest, the Minnesota Native Plant Society, and the Twin Cities chapter of the Wild Ones for help. The latter two organizations have extensive experience working with native plants and very helpful resources on their websites. They may also be able to help answer questions about your soil.

More Soils Questions

How will my Texas Mountain Laurel survive clay soil?June 09, 2009 - Mr. Smarty Pants:
I live in a new neighborhood (brownfield site) in Central Austin where the developers have put fill in the yards. After not much more than 2 inches of topsoil you encounter fairl...view the full question and answer

Plants resistant to salt spray in FLDecember 18, 2011 - What type of plants can I put in a small planter bed next to a waterfall with a saltwater pool?
Everything I put in there dies.
I live in Southwest Florida.view the full question and answer

Soils for Acacia greggii and Bauhinia lunarioidesMay 02, 2007 - What kind of soil do you recommend for anacacia tree? I was stunned by the one blooming at Center. I have had one for years and it has not been happy. I figure it must be the soil.view the full question and answer

Area needing soil amendment in San DiegoDecember 02, 2009 - I have a dirt area in the corner where my fence comes together. The dirt is clay-like and during the winter the area gets very little, if any, sun and during the summer it gets 4-6 hours of sun. Wha...view the full question and answer

Use of fresh clippings from tree trimmers for mulch in AustinMay 02, 2010 - Hi, The tree trimmers are in my neighborhood (east central Austin) to clear the power lines and said I can have a load of free mulch. I am wondering if there is any harm in using the fresh mulch from...view the full question and answer